


O Holy Night

by fawatson



Series: Christmas at the Clubhouse [19]
Category: RENAULT Mary - Works
Genre: F/F, ITOWverse, Lenaia, Metafiction, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-31
Updated: 2009-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-21 09:24:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6046447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fawatson/pseuds/fawatson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Axiothea and Lasthenia hear the women celebrating in the hills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	O Holy Night

**Author's Note:**

> This story was posted originally to the [maryrenaultfics](http://maryrenaultfics.livejournal.com) LiveJournal community as a gift to the members for Christmas in 2009.

The moon shed glorious silver over the night.  Periodically, wisps of cloud passed over it, glowing violet against the purple sky.  A falling star sparkled; others seemed to dance in sympathy with its descent.  The heavens were honouring the firmament with full beauty, surely an auspicious omen. 

On earth, garlands had been decked round the perimeter of the grounds.  True, it wasn’t quite the same as garlanding the vines, but for once the clubhouse had failed to provide the requisite prop.  Perhaps its resources had been exhausted by expanding the facilities to include the amphitheatre, preparatory to tomorrow’s start of winter festival.  Axiothea was sure there must be a deeper meaning to that omission than she was able to grasp; Plato would surely understand the significance, but she just couldn’t seem to focus on it. 

“Iakchos!”  The cry was shrill but distant as women called to one another from the hills.  She could hear some voices singing hymns; she envisaged lively dances in honour of Dionysos.  She could picture the bacchanal some would indulge in. Axiothea let the curtain drop and turned away from the window. 

“You seem pre-occupied tonight.  Do you want to join the women’s celebrations after all?” Lasthenia asked as her friend discarded her robe and slipped into the other side of the bed.

Axiothea grimaced, but then, realising perhaps that Lasthenia could not see her expression clearly in the dark, she spoke.  “No; it is just old memories.”  This was a night the gods ruled – well, one god anyway.  It was simply her misfortune to remember another night when Ares had ruled all save one corner of a city long since disappeared – and her own spontaneous offering to Dionysos, so long ago. 

Niko would be preparing himself for his part in the festival; she wondered if he remembered too.


End file.
